photo credit: @dkfra19 via Unsplash
Today I thought I’d share some apps that I frequently use and that might not be so well-known as some others, but that I find very useful. And maybe you do too?
Raindrop.io — This app replaced the GetPocket App for me. It’s a bookmarking app, so whenever I come across a recipe, article, or other website that I’d like to bookmark for later, I save it to this app. You can organize your saved bookmarks in folders and also use tags or easily search by keywords. There is also a desktop extension that you can install in your browser to quickly save and access your bookmarked links from the computer.
Phonto — If you have seen any photos or collages (with white background) with text here on my blog (e.g. my favorites posts), there’s a good chance they were created with Phonto. I usually find it cumbersome to do any type of design work on your phone, but this app is really easy to navigate and I haven’t found any other app that works better for this type of work. You can also save your work as “projects”, which you can reopen and edit. All of my workout trackers are created and updated in this app.
Sleep Cycle —This is the app that tracks my sleep patterns and wakes me up gently during my lightest sleep phase. Well, I will admit that sometimes it goes off at the last minute and startles me awake. There’s no way around it. The app provides you with a sleep score every morning (I am still trying to figure out how accurate it is) and you can add notes on how you feel upon waking up.) The app also tracks your average sleep time (you can set a goal and then see how you do), let’s you know if you’re snoring and how long it takes for you to fall asleep (currently under 30 minutes for me).
Jetpack for WordPress — If your blog runs on WordPress, you want to have this handy app. I don’t usually blog from my phone, but I love the option if I really can’t get to a computer. I also use this app to upload photos directly from my phone – no need to transfer them to a computer first. It’s also nice to have the app to quickly correct typos (ahem!) or respond to comments.
Noonlight — Have you heard of this app? Now, this is an app you hope to never have to use, but it is certainly nice to have it. It’s a personal safety app that you can use for free (extra perks if you pay for a subscription) if you’re in a situation where you feel unsafe. You open the app and press the noonlight button on the screen until you feel safe. If you release the button and do not enter your PIN within 10 seconds (to indicate that you’re ok), emergency response is dispatched to your location. I cannot vouch for the service (as I haven’t had to use it), but it sure is nice to have this safety feature in your back pocket when you’re out by yourself when it’s dark, or meeting up with someone new.
Share an app (or five) with me that you think is useful but not very well known!
I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2025 Happy writing!
Ernie
November 18, 2025 at 11:54 amThis is all news to me. The raindrop one – that I assumed was a weather app, is something I should put on my desktop (and my phone). I’m the person who leaves a million tabs open out of fear of not finding my way back.
the app that I use that’s fairly new to me – speechify. I love it. It reads documents to me or books if I scan the pages – handy when I don’t have a book on audio book, but I want to listen to it on a run, etc.
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:20 pmHaha, I still have a lot of tabs open, but the Raindrop App helps. Thanks for suggesting Speechify – I’d never heard of it .
Nicole MacPherson
November 18, 2025 at 11:57 amWait. Wait. WAIT. Why does the app wake you up in your lightest sleep cycle? What is the purpose of this???
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:21 pmIt supposedly wakes you up in your lightest sleep phase before you go back into REM sleep (because it can be quite harsh to be startled awake from REM or deep sleep).
Birchie
November 18, 2025 at 3:48 pmMy takeaway was to download Phonto! Thanks for the tip!
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:21 pmHope you like it! :)
Tierney
November 18, 2025 at 8:55 pmI will check out Phonto! It may be a nice adjunct to Jetpack. I used Jetpack exclusively to write my blog posts during my France trip with my phone paired to my travel keyboard. It was great. I also like the dopamine hit of the stats page. Sometimes I hit double digits in a day, lol!
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:22 pmYes! I’ve used Jetpack on vacation too. So useful… and Phonto definitely is a nice adjunct app. Try it!
coco
November 18, 2025 at 11:38 pmthese are all new to me apps, thanks for sharing!
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:22 pmYou’re welcome.
Tanja Jordan
November 19, 2025 at 2:17 amGirl, the raindrop one is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I kept so many taps in safari open, just to not lose all these recipes. ……. And if I want to bake “Ingrids Apfelkuche” I always open your blog (which I do often anyways) to look it up…… Life got so much easier and organized – Thanks for that BFF!
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:23 pmYay. I love that you find the Raindrop App useful! :)
Suzanne
November 19, 2025 at 3:11 amPhonto sounds really useful! My favorite app is the Merlin Bird ID app — anytime I’m out walking, I can open the app and hit record and it will identify the birds I’m listening to. I love it!
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:23 pmI’ve heard about the Merlin App. Thanks for sharing!
Jenny
November 19, 2025 at 6:11 amOh wow- I’m going to look into Phonto. I have noticed the collages on your blog and just thought that was something totally beyond my capabilities. I’m learning that there an app for everything!
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:23 pmHope you love Phonto – let me know if you have questions :)
Michelle G.
November 19, 2025 at 6:12 amThanks for these great app recommendations, San! I think Raindrop will be helpful for me. I tend to take a screenshot of anything interesting to me, and I end up with all these random photos and wonder why I took them!
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:23 pmOh yes, Raindrop will be useful for you, indeed!
Anthea
November 19, 2025 at 10:41 amPhonto sounds amazing – I’ve wondered how you do your collages!
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:24 pmHope you’ll like it.
Martha
November 19, 2025 at 11:33 amPhonto sounds like the one I’ll definitely be checking out, thanks!
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:24 pmYou’re welcome, hope you’ll like it.
Melissa
November 19, 2025 at 1:35 pmI don’t use any of these apps. I always just use the wordpress app the write posts and respond to comments if I don’t have my computer. Is the Jetpack app better? I use Reader for both blog reading and bookmarking, as it does both. Since it is connected to Readwise, you can also highlight things within Reader, and it will sync them to your Readwise account. Readwise is great for highlighting from books too becuase the app has a function to save a highlight using the camera.
San
November 20, 2025 at 9:25 pmI used to have the WordPress app, but at some point read somewhere that Jetpack was even better. I don’t recall why exactly… but I use it now :)
Stephany
November 22, 2025 at 6:56 pmOoh, I’m going to download Phonto – I *have* always wondered how you create your collages!
I used to use Sleep Cycle – in fact, it was one of the reasons I decided to seek out a sleep study after listening to my snoring patterns! Super useful. I haven’t used it in a while, but maybe I should get back to it.
I think you broke my brain with the Jetpack app – I can just upload my photos that are on my phone RIGHT IN THE APP and then they’ll be available in my WP media library for immediate use???? My mind is blown. You have just saved me oodles and oodles and oodles of time.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
November 23, 2025 at 12:33 pmI dont use any of these apps or have them installed. I am wondering about the sleep cycle one. I thought you owned an Apple Watch and that tracks sleep. So why us this one? I did I remember incorrectly. I’d love to hear more.
One app I use daily is Duolingo.
Allison McCaskill
December 1, 2025 at 3:43 pmI highly doubt I know any apps that the rest of the world does not already know about – these all look really useful! I am enjoying Elevate – “a brain training program designed to improve cognitive skills like focus, memory, and math through over 40 science-backed games.” My friend introduced me to it. I really do feel the need to exercise my brain – the language exercises make me feel quite intelligent, and the math exercises much less so, but I know I need practice, and it’s good to have the reminder.